Hannah and Haydn Thursday 27 July 2023
Hannah and Haydn tied the knot on Thursday 27 July 2023 with a ceremony in the chapel followed by a beautiful reception in the Radcliffe room.
Their story began over an Oreo milkshake on a Greek island. This pairs meeting was no coincidence. Having first laid eyes on each other in the check in queue at Manchester Airport, the pair then ended up on the same flight, same transfers and yes…. the same hotel! Some would say fate brought them together!
With a shared love to travel, their wedding was a true token in their journey to become one! Think departure board seating plan, boarding passes for menu cards, luggage tags for name places, favours in mini suitcase boxes and a 3 tiered cake of suitcases
Read on to find out how they fell in love, chose their suppliers and how their first dance wasn’t what you’d expect from a Championship Irish Dancer…
We hope you feel inspired...
Hannah and Haydn captured by Will Kneeshaw Photography
So, how did you two meet?
Some would say it was fate! We actually met in 2015 in Greece on a girls' and lads' holiday. Our two friends' groups ended up next to each other in the check in queue at Manchester Airport, on the same flight, same transfers and yes…. the same hotel! We even had the same excursions planned with our friends and the same return flights. It wasn’t until the second day when we were sunbathing next to each other that Haydn asked for a slurp on Hannah’s Oreo milkshake that we hit it off. From that the rest is history!
When did you know they were 'the one'/how did they pop the question?
Haydn pretty much knew from early on but it wasn’t until we decided to go travelling that it was cemented. Living in each others pockets, exploring new places together and only having each other whilst at the other side of the world was what made Haydn realise. When we came home our search for adventure didn’t stop and a proposal wasn’t going to stop it either. A surprise trip to Wales was planned and a day trip to climb Snowdon was of course what we did. We reached the top of Mount Snowdon, set up a quiet picnic with no one around and it was then Haydn popped the question. It took us longer to walk down than it did up, absorbing and living in the moment just the two of us.
What was the biggest MUST HAVE for your wedding?
Our biggest must have had to be having all our friends and family in one place together at the same time. Of course the day was about us both, however we wanted everyone to have a good time and enjoy themselves. Seeing everyone so relaxed enjoying the magician, singer, food and band was exactly what we wanted for our day. We have had so many comments on how thoroughly our guests enjoyed the day.
Friends and Family
Other than saying 'I do', what is the most unforgettable moment from the day?
Our most unforgettable moment of the day was having the opportunity to go to Rudding’s Love Island. It was a great for us to share some alone time together just the two of us without any distractions. It’s was so calm, quiet and relaxing (for Hannah whilst Haydn rowed) and gave us time to appreciate exactly what the day was all about. It really allowed us to take everything in and an added bonus is the amazing pictures we have from it too! And of course - how many people can say they rowed a boat and shared their first drink together on their own private island? We would definitely recommend doing this to other couples getting married at Rudding.
Which supplier was a real stand out for you? The unsung star who deserves a special mention.
Jessica was absolutely wonderful at Create A Look! We met Jessica and her mum at a wedding fayre at Rudding Park where there were many other venue stylists too. It was their personalities and honesty which drew us to them and of course their beautiful decor. They were very attentive and recognised us when we saw them again at another wedding fayre which made it feel really personal. Communication in the lead up was timely which put us totally at ease. We loved everything they did for us and would highly recommend them to anyone. The decor brought our vision to life and it was everything we could have wished for!
Love Island
What was it in your eyes that gives Rudding Park the WOW factor?
There were so many things that stood out to us when looking at Rudding as a potential wedding venue. The attentiveness of the staff in particular was the first thing that caught our eyes. They genuinely care for your experience whilst there and cannot do enough for you. A slight dress malfunction was quickly corrected by the wedding coordinators on the day and they had every little detail under control.
Having also lived in Italy for a while and admiring the beautiful churches and chapels there, the chapel at Rudding really gave us a sense of living back in Italy. The architecture and altar were just what we were looking for. When we thought it couldn’t get any better, we met Father Ian and knew we needed him to do our blessing on the day. We had so many compliments from our guests in the day to say how good his service and delivery was! An added cherry on the top!
How did you style your space? Did your wedding day have a theme?
We styled a lot of the venue ourselves with the help of Hannah’s mother and sister. The adventure seeking people we are, of course we had a travel theme. Our seating plan was a departure board, menu cards were boarding passes, name places were luggage tags, favours were in mini suitcase boxes and our cake had 3 different sized suitcases with our honeymoon destinations on. It was very us and wouldn’t have had it any other way. Having said this, we wanted to keep the colour theme very neutral so we kept all favours and decor to green, white and browns (both our favourite colours).
What is your funniest memory from the day?
Our funniest memory of the day was certainly people’s reactions to our first dance. We don’t take ourselves too seriously so there wasn’t a chance we would be doing a slow dance with one another. Some people expected a jig with Hannah been a champion Irish Dancer but they didn’t expect a jive to Crazy Little Thing Called Love. The gasps and expressions in people’s faces will stay with us forever.
We also have to mention to dance floor on the evening. The Jonny Ross band really made it feel like it was a festival and the dance floor was full all night with people dancing and singing.
Styling by Create a Look Decor/Cake
Jive Talking
What's the best advice you could give to couples who are about to tie the knot at Rudding Park?
Stay present and enjoy every moment. Don’t worry or panic about the minor details on the day because you can be assured that Rudding Park and the team have everything under control.
And finally, we'd love to hear about your experience with Rudding Park....
Getting married at Rudding Park was everything we wanted and more! They made it more than just a wedding day with the complimentary gifts that were included. By the time our day came we had already shared so many wonderful memories there together. Having accommodation on site made it a weekend away for our guests who could also enjoy the brilliant facilities there too. The most amazing venue for the best day of our lives. Thank you all!
Supplier Dream Team:
Photographer: Will Kneeshaw Photography
Florist: Colette
Styling: Create a Look Decor
DJ/Band: Jonny Ross Music
Magician: West Yorkshire Magician
Entertainment: I am Alisha
Dress: Scarlet Poppy Bridal Boutique
Suits: Limelight Occasions
Lights: Love Lights the Way